Oklahoma State and Iowa State meet Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, in Ames, Iowa, in a matchup between teams fighting to make the
Big 12 Championship Game.

After a 62-52 loss to rival Oklahoma, the Cowboys
no longer control their destiny in the Big 12. Likewise, the Cyclones are no longer in a “win and in” position after a 20-16 loss to West Virginia, though
they’re in a better position than the Cowboys (7-2 overall, 4-2 Big 12). A loss Saturday likely leaves either team out of
contention for the conference title.

Assuming Iowa State wins out, the Cyclones (6-3, 4-2) need the Mountaineers to lose one of their final three games to make
it into the title game. The Cowboys, though, need to win their final three games in addition to the loser of Saturday’s TCU-Oklahoma
game to lose one of its final two games. Of course, none of those scenarios matter for the Cowboys or Cyclones if they first
win against each other. Oklahoma State has won five straight games in the series.

Oklahoma State-Iowa State football live stream

Oklahoma State-Iowa State preview, keys to the game

Maintain motivation

Any hopes the Cyclones had a shocking run to the College Football Playoff disappeared in their fourth game, when Texas delivered
their second loss of 2017. But the Cowboys came into the season as a playoff darkhorse, a loss to TCU viewed as a speed bump
rather than a derailment. Bedlam put Oklahoma State in the realm of two-loss teams, which have yet to appear in the College
Football Playoff.

Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said after Saturday’s game he
isn’t concerned about his players’ ability to stay motivated despite their playoff hopes fading away. Last season, they suffered their second loss four games in and responded with a
seven-game winning streak. 2017 won’t be as memorable as the Cowboys initially hoped. But a strong three-game stretch to end
the season, beginning in Ames, could still leave it noteworthy in program history.

Avoid turnovers

A key factor in Iowa State’s sudden surge has been its ability to generate turnovers. During its 4-1 stretch with Kyle Kempt
at quarterback, the Cyclones have a plus-seven turnover margin. Overall this season, they ranked 10th nationally in turnover
margin.

The Cowboys have a chance to post their first 6-0 road record under Gundy. Twice, in 2010 and 2015, Oklahoma State won all
five of their road games. The Cowboys began the 2011 season 5-0 on the road, but they notably saw their perfect season end
in an upset loss to the Cyclones in Ames.

At 5-0 thus far this year, the Cowboys can complete a road sweep with a victory Saturday. Some of their best performances
of the season have come at home, including a trip to Pittsburgh during which they scored touchdowns on their first seven drives.
It’s tough to imagine they can do the same against Iowa State defense that ranks top 20 in the country in terms of points
allowed, but an explosive start could propel the Cowboys to a perfect road slate.